Doncaster started the second half of their season with a first ever visit to Cornish Pirates new temporary ground in Truro.  The side showed two changes from the side that started the previous week with John Cannon at centre instead of Joe Van Den Berg and James Rothwell a late replacement on the wing for Donavan Van Vuuren.

The match started in ideal conditions and, although the wide pitch was heavy, it was made for attacking rugby.  After early Pirates pressure, Doncaster gradually fought their way back into the game with centre Nick Wakley almost put clear after 5 mins.  For the next 15 minutes the game was fairly tense with some good attritional play from both sides.  Gradually Pirates started to exert pressure and they scored an excellent try after 20 minutes. From a line-out 25 metres out they moved the ball to the right and Rhodri McAttee  came off his  wing to take an inside pass to make a scything break.  He was tackled just short by Rothwell but quick thinking by the Pirates’s backs saw the ball back to McAttee, now back on his feet, to score an excellent try that was converted by outside half Lee Jarvis.  The next five minutes saw both fly halves miss relatively simple penalties from 35 metres out in front of the posts, and Wakley almost put clear again from a good move around halfway.  The final 10 minutes of the half were all Pirates and they scored three tries to put Doncaster on the rack.  Firstly Doncaster failed to clear a kick caught within their own 22 and, with Pirates gaining possession, they moved the ball to the right before switching play to the left to provide McAttee with his second try that was again converted by Jarvis.  Then, after a line-out from the kick off, McAttee again came off his wing in an identical move to that that led to his first try but this time, when confronted by Doncaster full back Jon Boden, he passed the ball to centre Duncan Roke who scored near the posts to give Jarvis an easy conversion.  Finally, in injury time, Pirates pressurised Doncaster on their own line and eventually weight of numbers saw lock Heino Senekal crash over.  Although Jarvis missed the conversion, Pirates went into half-time with a commanding 26 points to nil lead and with a bonus point already in the bag.

During half-time Doncaster prop Richard List and scrum half Charlie Harrison were replaced by Simon Bunting and Llyr Lane respectively, both changes being due to injury.  .  Whatever Doncaster skipper Rob Liley said to his team during the interval it certainly worked and the first 10 minutes was all Doncaster.  Firstly lock Dan Cook caught Pirates fly half Lee Jarvis in goal and from the resultant scrum Doncaster moved the ball to the right where Michael Wood came off his wing to crash over halfway out.  Then Pirates gained a lineout midfield but, when they attempted to chip ahead in midfield, the kick was charged down and quickly picked up by centre Cannon whose quick pop pass gave Wood a 60 metre run to the line.  Liley converted both of Wood’s tries.  Unfortunately shortly afterwards Doncaster were penalised 25 metres out to give Jarvis a simple kick.  Worst was to follow from the visitors when McAttee caught a ball on his own 10 metres line before evading at least five attempted tackles to score a brilliant sole try and his hat-trick.  Jarvis’s conversion extended Pirate’s lead to 22 points.  At this point Ryan Peacey replaced Simon Grainger at flanker for the visitors. Doncaster fought back add a good move involving Russell Earnshaw and John Boden combining to put Wakley into space but he was tackled inches short.  Back came Pirates and, a few minutes later, Doncaster were penalized 10 metres out and, whilst their defence was regrouping, home scrum half Gavin Cattle took a quick penalty to run over almost unopposed for a try converted by Jarvis.  Following Tau’s replacement at prop by Steve Barretto, Doncaster attacked from within their own 22 and, following inter-passing between Cannon, Wood and Wakley, flanker Russell Earnshaw raced over from 40 metres out.  Following Liley’s conversion, Johnny Roddam replaced Steve Boden at hooker and Oliver Cook came on at lock for Glen Kenworthy.  Doncaster continued their fight back with a series of driving scrums before a fracas between Bunting and home prop Alan Paver saw the latter being shown the yellow card.  At this point Doncaster flanker Earnshaw was forced off with a knee injury and, with all Doncaster’s forward replacements used, centre Duncan Murray had to deputise in the backrow for the last couple of minutes.  The final plays of the match saw a series of Doncaster penalties leading to attacking 5 metre line-outs.  With the referee surely thinking of a penalty try, Dan Cook won one last lineout for Doncaster and prop Steve Barretto was driven over for a try which Liley again converted to leave the final score 43 points to 26 to the Pirates.

Doncaster’s second half performance where they scored 26 points to Pirates 17 gave them their first try bonus point of the season and puts them just one point behind both Coventry and Otley.  Plus points from the game were some excellent attacking rugby from both sides, an outstanding display by man of the match McAttee, a good performance from referee David Rose and a good spirited performance by Doncaster.  Down sides were some critical errors by Doncaster to give the advantage to Pirates, the knee injury to Earnshaw that will require an operation, and Richard List’s damaged thumb and the boring behaviour of a small number of the otherwise excellent 2.500 crowd who insisted on jeering every time Doncaster took a kick at goal.  Doncaster’s man of the match was No 8 Dan Montagu.

Pirates

(15) Wes Davies; (14) Richard Welding (Matt Jess 40); (13) Duncan Roke; (12) Kevin James (Sean James ; (11) Rhodri McAttee; (10) Lee Jarvis; (9) Gavin Cattle; (1) Alan Paver (75 Y/C); (2) Viliami Ma’asi (Nick Makin (58); (3) Nick Adams (Dan Seal); (4) Heino Senekal; (5) Joe Beardshaw; (6) Simon Hocking; (7) Iva Mutusaga; (8) Matt Evans

Doncaster

(15) Jon Boden; (14) James Rothwell; (13) Nick Wakley; (12) John Cannon; (11) Michael Wood; (10) Rob Liley; (9) Charlie Harrison (Llyr Lane 40); (1) Richard List (Simon Bunting 40); (2) Steve Boden (Johnny Roddam 70); (3) Ngalu Tau (Steve Barretto 65); (4) Glen Kenworthy (Oliver Cook 75); (5) Dan Cook; (6) Russell Earnshaw (Duncan Murray 79); (7) Simon Grainger (Ryan Peacey 60); (8) Dan Montagu.

Referee: David Rose (RFU)